Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-10-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled for the HERALD.
WASHINGTON. Oct. g. 1887.

Written and compiled for the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 1887.
The Treasury Department is in a
quandary again over the surplus
question and the buying of bonds
to relieve business distress. Its
season of relaxation seem to be ex-
ceedingly spasmodlc and of short
duration. The time of filling the
sinking fund expires on the Sth,
and what then to do is "a most Sc
rious question. 1t is two months
yet before Congress- can give any
relief, aud how to bridge the int.
rim is very annoying and perplex-
ing. The Secretary has had con.
ference with the Wall Street bank
ers, and returned just IN season to
have a short interview with the
President before lie left for the
West. It's said that the Secretary
questions his authority to go much
further, though the Wall Street
sharks have no qualms of con-
science on that point so long as
they have bonds TO sell at a good
round price, but don't propose to
tender them very lively at the last
bid of the Secretary. The result Of
the interview with the President is
not known, as they are extremely
reticent at the Treasury Depart
ment, but the presumption is that
no definite policy is settled upon up
to this writing, and that telegraph
ic communication and special mes
sengers will have to be relied on.
This will sadly mar the pleasure of
the Presidents trip, and OF course
cause more or less delay and con.
fusion, and all for the want Of some
fixed, settled, and definite policy in
regard to our finances. All this
uncertainty and perplexing anxiety
could have been easily avoided by
calling an extra session, and max
ing amends for the criminal neg
lect of the last Congress. If the
administration were alone with the
sufferers, we could view the situa.
ton with some complacency, but
where the entire people are invOlv.
ed, such lack of forethOught seems
most stupid.
Our Democratic friends have
talked a good deal during the past
thirty months abOut JeffersOnian
simplicity, and applied it with won.
dertul dexterity to the present ad.
ministratiOn. The fact of history
is this: Jefferson rode down Penn
sylyania Avenue on his nag, tied !
it to a post near the capitol, and |
unostentatiOnsly passed through |
the ceremonies of his Inauguration. !
To-day President Cleveland is ca.
reering through the land in a $780,. |
900 train Of cars, beckoning for /
ovation and applause. An eye half |
open can see the righteousness of
such an absurdity. A more ex.
travagant and prOtligate subyer.
sion of official position was never
before witnessed in this country,
and no wonder that the labor re.
unions of Milwaukee, Chicago, and
elsewhere, refuse to join in the
of welcome, and
the proceedings as
''smacking too much of the homage
paid to royalty IN Europe" No
wonder there is bitterness and
heart burnings among the labOring
masses of the country.
The Interstate Commerce Com.
like all other Bureaus and
of Government, is re.
luired to submit to Congress at
the beginning of every session, es-
Inmates for the coming fiscal year.
The law requires that these est.
mates shall be in the hands of the
Secretary of the Treasury by the
first of October. Most Of them gen.
srally come in later. But the In.
.er.State Commerce Commission is
ID hand like a sore thumb this year,
md wants $500 for the Secretary
md $4,000 for other necessary
,xpenses-maklng a total Of $780,.
100. The present appropriation is
100000, and that was thought at
he time to be extravagant. But
lere in less than eight months, a
Democratic reform, economical all
ninistratiOn, proposes in actual re.
)Ort to Congress, to double the
mount. Some Inqulsitiye fellow
night ask, what do we get in re-
urn 7 That is question, my dear
ir, that is puzzllng others than
'ou and me, and it may be a long
ime before a satisfactory answer is
,iven. The expense is all we get
low.
Sparks, the Commissioner of the !
General Land Office Is constantly :
n trouble, and he don't seem to